Mauve Cosmos Flowers.
“In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends.” – Kakuzō Okakura.
The botanical name for Cosmos flowers is Cosmos bipinnatus but they are often called Mexican Aster. They are a member of the Compositae or Asteraceae family and are closely related to flowers such as marigolds, yarrow, daisies, zinnias, lettuce dandelions and sunflowers. The name ‘Cosmos’ is derived from the Greek word ‘Kosmos’ which means ‘beautiful.’
Now why hasn’t a famous celebrity called their daughter Cosmos yet? It certainly beats many a weird name forced upon the innocent children of the rich and the famous, which is unfortunately, (by default) reason enough for many of the younger generation to follow their every self-obsessed footstep. But I digress!
Why do I love Cosmos Flowers so much?
Their colours are varied and they look so graceful as they dance obligingly to the urging of gentle breezes upon their slender stems. They are very effective in attracting bees, butterflies and insects which in turn make them efficient pollinators. The type of insects that are lured to, tachinid flies their pollen are lacewing butterflies, parasitic wasps and hoverflies.
Cosmos plants grow easily even when conditions are hot and dry with limited water supply. In fact, they seem to thrive in poorer soils with less organic matter as this stimulates leaf growth but less blooms. It is not uncommon to see them adorn road sides where they enjoy full sun, ordinary soil and tolerate rain and heavy dew.
When you are looking at saving the seeds for planting it is a good idea to choose cosmos plants that have been open-pollinated as opposed to the hybrid brands. Hybrid plants are not nearly as reliable for seed saving because they can often be sterile and their true characteristics are not guaranteed.
Cosmos flowers will self sow. As they die naturally, the dead flowers fall to the ground and when ideal conditions occur, they will conveniently germinate all on their own. Flowering is long lasting which provides additional value and when planted in a cluster, they create a colourful feature in the garden.
Another benefit is that they are edible when grown organically and look fabulous as an addition to salads etc. Furthermore, it appears that they remain relatively pest free. When used in flower arrangements in a vase or in a bouquet, cosmos flowers will last up to 10 days, especially if kept in fresh water and the stems are cut regularly.
Cosmos have the ability to grow reasonably tall, so if suitable stakes, a fence or a trellis are available they will provide a spectacular wall of floral delight.
THANK YOU FOR VIEWING. HAVE A GREAT DAY.